Missouri Botanical Garden Offers Prairie Day at Shaw Nature Preserve

The Missouri Botanical Garden invites people to take a step back in time for Prairie Day at the Shaw Nature Reserve,  from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 15. Interact with early settlers and explore what life was like on the great American frontier during the bi-annual event. Kids and adults alike will enjoy a day of historical activities and exhibits, story telling, music and food. Event admission is $6 for adults, $2 for children (ages 15 and under) and $3 for Missouri Botanical Garden members. Visit www.shawnature.org or call (636) 451-3512 for more information.
           
This family event portrays prairie heritage through fun-filled activities and demonstrations, according to a botanical garden news release. The Reserve’s 250-acre tall grass prairie provides an authentic backdrop for the day’s cultural festivities. Take a guided hike with a naturalist to learn about the land and its unique natural characteristics. Visit the teepee and watch as blacksmiths and flint-knappers hone skills from days gone by. Basket weavers, quilters and artists will create and display traditional art pieces. Ride in a hay wagon and play pioneer games such as the “atl-atl throw,” tomahawk throw and “rabbit sticks.” Learn living history first-hand as characters re-enact the lives of early prairie inhabitants.

Experts from the Wild Canid Center, Missouri Heritage Foundation and the Missouri Prairie Foundation will be on hand to answer questions and share information with the public.

Visitors will be able to choose from a wide assortment of prairie wildflowers and grasses available for purchase from a local native plant nursery. Live bands will entertain the crowds with a variety of modern and traditional folk tunes. Enjoy bison burgers and a variety of homemade baked goods.             
           
Prairie Day is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
           
The Shaw Nature Reserve is located on the south side of Interstate 44 at exit #253 in Gray Summit, Mo. (less than 10 miles past the Six Flags exit). For more information, visit www.shawnature.org or call (636) 451-3512.
           
The Shaw Nature Reserve is a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden.